Rex Gelert Photography and Video

Archive for February, 2010

Okay, I haven’t posted in a couple of weeks, I’m not sure where the time has gone. Oh, I know, I’ve been glued to the Winter Olympics. I love this spectacle every four years, well two, when you go from summer to winter Olympics. I must say that the winter, kicks some butt over the summer version in my mind. Where else can you see a person flying down a hill on two thin slats of wood (or some other composite) over 90 miles per hour. It’s INSANE, and I love it. The human interest stories of the athletes is as compelling as the action sometimes.

When I was going to college for my photography many years ago, my first passion was photojournalism, and if I could have been shooting for Sports Illustrated, all the better. Okay, if National Geographic called back then, I wouldn’t have denied their call either.

I have posted images from the Boston Globes Big Picture before, but it’s worthy of another.

This looks like it could have been a setup commercial shot. Great shot.

Mostly because, this is a human interest story of an artist that has stayed with his art through all the turmoil in his life. All of us artist go through different periods of struggle and success, this takes it to another level.

A one-time Julliard music student, has now succumbed to a mental disorder and is forced to live on the streets, although he has kept his passion of music alive.

The fact that music was my first love, is another reason this strikes a chord with me (sorry).

This story has the feel of a couple of my all time favorite movies: Shine, Geoffrey Rush portrays the mentaly ill pianist, David Helfgott. Also, August Rush, the story of an orphaned musical prodigy.

I’m a sucker for a great human interest story, and if it’s about music and art, I’m done.

L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez did a terrific story on Mr. Ayers. It is definitely worth a read. Also, see a video clip of the recording session below.